-can be vegetarian
This tasty soup is a fun twist to the regular chili soup. The difference is that the beef is replaced with turkey or chicken and the chili beans are replaced with black beans but otherwise it is very similar to the well known beef chili soup … just even better in our opinions. Of course, you can add all your favorite foods that you would otherwise add to a chili soup.
The biggest change in the recipe is the meat. Many people prefer the lighter turkey or chicken meat. The chicken or turkey is very nice here, the thigh gives more flavor and is cheaper but the breast would work well too.
Maybe it would be more accurate to call this soup black and white chili soup. The white makes sense with the white meat but I used black beans instead of white beans because I think it has more flavor. Of course, you can use either.
EDIT: I decided to make a minor change to the title to better reflect what this soup is all about so I added black bean in the title. I have been calling it the white chili soup for years so I did not even give it much thought when I posted the recipe. I apologize but this will be more accurate otherwise it is still the same tasty soup recipe.
I decided to post this recipe now because beans especially black beans are great in the winter. The warming black beans have a sweet flavor and nourish the kidneys. They are antibacterial, anti-parasitic, detoxifying and have high levels of disease fighting antioxidants, numerous vitamins and minerals, protein and fiber. In addition, it has heart, skin protecting and anti-cancer properties. It also improves digestion and is great for overall health. It is native to the Americas and have been used for thousands of years. No wonder the natives ate it with almost every meal.
I like to make up my own chili spice, please follow the recipe below or you can use whatever you have on hand or buy it in a store already made. It is cheaper if you buy it in bulk vs buying in a jar and has no additives either.
You can experiment with the vegetables of course, I added corn, carrots and green beans. In the summer, I like to add zucchini too. But please feel free to add whatever you would like.
Vegetarian readers might be wondering if this soup could be made vegetarian. The answer is yes! – you can take out the meat and just use vegetarian stock and I also added eggs. I have made it without meat, it is tasty.
Surprise your guests at a party or just treat yourself. Honestly, we believe that this version is even tastier than the original soup.
RECIPE
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- vegetable oil
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 strips of bacon
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey thigh or breast
- 29 oz canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp of tomato paste
- 5 tsp of chili seasoning (please see recipe below)
- 2 garlic cloves
- chicken stock
- 3 medium sized carrots, sliced
- 8 oz corn (frozen)
- 8 oz vegetables. I used green beans. Also zucchini would be fine
- 2 cups of uncooked black beans or 28 oz of canned beans
- salt and pepper
- yellow cheddar cheese
- chips
- sour cream
- cilantro
Chili seasoning ingredients
- 1 Tbsp (3 tsp) chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Preparation
- Wash and soak beans in cold water for 8 hours or overnight. Pour off the liquid and wash well. Add cold filtered water and cook for 2 hours or until soft but not falling apart. Omit if using canned beans. The home-made beans are well worth the extra effort though, they taste so much better.
- Make the stock. Omit if using ready made stock.
- Heat oil in a large pot with a large surface area. Add the chopped onion, celery and the chopped up bacon, sauté for 10 minutes or until onions are translucent and render the bacon.
- Add 5 tsp of the chili seasoning, mix. Add the crushed garlic cloves, mix.
- Quickly add the tomatoes, stir. Add the tomato pure and stir. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes make a nice sauce.
- Add the carrots and enough stock so the liquid covers the soup well. Cook for 1 hour or until the carrots are soft.
- Add the corn and the vegetables at the end so they can be cooked for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the beans with its liquid and more stock if needed to cover everything.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with sour cream, chips, cilantro.
enjoy!
Twin Cities Herbs 